Home › Discussions › General Discussion › My best campaign ever.... - General Discussion Discussions on Obsidian Portal Community Forums
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Comments
CONTINUATION...
- Avery "Gi-San" Calaveri (Of all the supporting cast he is most likely to be present when you really think he's not. Usually found in Skunkworks or the Shop.)
- Vivian Hoo (She has not set foot in Storm's Eye since the day it was built but is purported to have top-level access.)
- Jeremiah Smith (As skipper of the Mayhem he'd HAVE to have access! Problem is Lise is usually carrying it in HER pocket!)
- Bobby-Q Washinton (Although currently living in Northern California with Cissy Adisson, BBQ was as common a fixture on-site as Jermiah.
- Stone (He found the place on his own without ever being instructed how but promised North he would never "tell" anyone how he did it. It drove Knowledge crazy for monthes!)
- Sally O'Shea (Of all the remaining Swords, she was the strongest candidate for Hard Suit recruitment in the event of a fatality. Her families I.R.A. past was the only negative mark for an otherwise flawless record but when weighed against the fact that 95% of Wardogs are cannibals (as was the case with Erica) it really seemed like an overreaction in comparison! Miss O'Shea was easily one of the most volatile & opinionated women North had ever met. Naturally, he liked her from the start. Sally had served with Jeremiah in the Texas National Guard long before either became a Sword and she was present at the battle where Jeremiah suffered his permanant hearing loss.)
There were also a few who had been to Storm's Eye for recruitment purposes.
- Karla Cruzado (Who had been interning with Calaveri Concepts-Los Angeles while she finished secondary schooling. She was given permission to bring a single Guardian with her on her visit...she chose Riva...but THAT'S another story!)
- Jimmy Martinez (Commando Scout who helped North & Erica cracking the Weed Slavery Ring/Grow-Op. Was to ride as escort for the Electric Mayhem before the FLA-500 but has yet to recieve the call to battle since. A true motorcycle prodigy...born to drive. Knowledge's prime candidate for funding a male Hard Suit variant. Currently interns at Calaveri Concepts-San Antonio)
And soon...
- Kirstie Calaveri (She had been A.S.P.'s slave. She had betrayed Knowledge at the Rafterman Airship Terminus to the completely psychotic Murphy family, which spawned a tense mexican stand-off in a crowded aeroport that degraded to a frantic free-for-all firefight. She had also betrayed Knowledge a second time to Gary Stevenson himself which not only almost claimed his life but Brewster's, who was herself nearly shot by the youngest Calaveri at the mission's climax. She would arrive any day now...but I'm getting ahead of myself!)
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
The tunnels that connected the hanger, complexe and entrance were suspended in a vaccuum. A breach of either would be immediately detected and use without an authorized pass (with accompanying host DNA) is impossible. The Armory is separated in two sections with the main weapons locker located in Op's and the other "expiramental" armory vaulted in the Skunkworks. After Florida, the Eye of the Storm went silent. For the first four monthes, everyone made active efforts to stay contact, showing up once a month as mandated. North & Lisa were the first to stray but Erica followed soon after. 8 monthes later, only Cathy would bother to show up and somehow Becca would always "just" beat her there. A month later...Rebecca would be the only one to show up and not having heard from anyone, decided to wait there until someone finally did. Aside from North handing over control to her before he left...she waited 3 more monthes before Hoo's message finally arrived.
Maim had not been there in seven monthes as she and the Paladin rolled up to the entrance site. "Pops" Bronco 4x4 kept some of Knowledge's favorite toys company in the underground parking area. A pair of 5000SS Countach Duelers (nearly identical to Aim's Executioner except the North replicas were also Calaveri customized converti-cars. One made for air-use/white and the other for water-use/black.) and a desert-camo, heavily customized "military-grade" Badger A.A.T.V. are the only other vehicles on the premises.
(The Otumwa/Tumbler is still on back order!)
Maim: "I FINALLY get to drive one of those!"
Rebecca: "Dream on."
Maim: "Have you ever driven one?"
Bec's doesn't answer as she strides towards the mag-lev platform.
Maim: "You HAVE haven't you?!"
Rebecca: "I didn't say that-"
Maim: "Why can YOU drive one but not ME?!"
Rebecca: "Two words for you..."
Maim: "F'k off?"
Rebecca: "AMERICAN-DREAM."
Maim: "It was NEVER proven I was at fault!"
Rebecca: "But you blew it up?"
Maim: "IT EXPLODED, THAT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT...you make it sound WAYYY worse than it is!"
Rebecca: "It could be worse?"
Erica wrinkles her nose and shakes her head briefly as if to imply: "Not really."
(Anyone who has seen Jim Jeffries before will know the exact look I speak of...)
Rebecca: "If ANYTHING, you can take the tank. Good luck breaking THAT thing."
Maim: "You could always let me use YOUR bike?"
Rebecca: "If you even DREAM of taking my bike...you'd better wake me up to appologize."
Maim: "I dunno why YOUR so upset...I'M the one losing my tape!"
Rebecca: "Speaking of "tape" you DO realize you're on at least 15 security monitors right now?"
Maim: "You don't suppose the old man's watching do you?"
The platform's intercom crakled to life.
Pops: "I'm gonna sell it as a sextape under the name: "Tempest; a break in the Storm"..."
Erica was mortified at the comment but the normally placid paladin broke with convention and smiled at the off-color remark. She wouldn't admit it openly but it WAS good to see Maim again.
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Upon reaching the complexe proper the pair separated. Bec's went to C&C while Erica went to change as fast as she could. The Paladin strode into the command centre and took note of Maim's location on the monitor.
Gi-San: "Well?"
Rebecca: "Well what?"
Gi-San: "Are you REALLY gonna make me "say" it?"
Rebecca: "I don't know what you're talking about?"
She was doing her best not to smile but was failing miserably at the task.
Rebecca: "Look...before Erica comes back-"
Gi-San: "THERE it is..."
Rebecca: "I don't know WHAT happened so you'll have to ask her about it...and she's GONNA come in here demanding those security feeds..."
Gi-San: "Uh-huh."
Rebecca: "...I don't care WHAT you finally decide to do about it as long as you KEEP-me-a-copy!"
Without skipping a beat, Gi-San immediately hands the Paladin a flashdrive.
Gi-San: "I've made extensive modifications to the suits in your absence. It'd be good to log a few hours in sim to get used to the new features and interface."
Rebecca: "Thank you."
Gi-San: "I would like t' ask ya a question if I may?"
The Paladin nodded in agreement.
Gi-San: "Kirstie...I was wondering if you had any suggestions for her stay that might minimize her exposure to the situation."
Rebecca: "That's for you and Cathy to figure out. The moment it becomes MY problem is the moment she finds another zipcode. But now that you MENTION it I would like her access to Training and Ops to be limited."
Gi-San: "Anything else?"
Rebecca: "You'll need an escort."
Gi-San: "Cathy and I can take care of that and be back befor-"
Rebecca: "That's not how it works...we move as a GROUP or not at all."
Gi-San: "What's your plan?"
Rebecca: "We blend in like ghosts...in and out before anyone knows we're there..."
The Lin-Keui Arcology stood backlit against the NT-1 cityscape as the ghostly aura of street lights and ariel traffic became a swirling glowing fog around it base. Despite the late hour, the population density on the streets below has JUST thinned enough to allow temporary unrestricted vehicular traffic in most city sections. It won't last for long. Akira was in foul temperment at the prospect of placing too much faith in the Jumper's reputation when one of his many security monitors showed a lone figure approaching the main gate. Although wearing a raincloak, North removed his cowl and stood in plain view of the security camera lens...then waited. He had only counted out in his head to eleven before the first of the security could be seen coming into view but each of them remained a considerable ways from the gate.
Phil: "What are they waiting for?"
Knowledge rolled his eyes:
Phil: "There's a ninja standing RIGHT behind me, isn't there?"
The Jumper slumps his shoulders and half turns his head to check his 6 o'clock. He can't "see" the ninja yet but the fact that he can now see his breath is disheartening news. If Sub-Zero had greeted him, he'd fallen into Tsugi's trap. Knowledge turns to the darkened street behind him:
North: "I know your there...so let's just get on with it, shall we?!"
But it wasn't Sub-Zero who stepped from the shadows...it was Frost. Perhaps he still had a chance at reaching Akira afterall....
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Akira Lin-Keui was expecting to hear excuses from Knowledge. The fact that he had arrived without the doctor or a TRIADE hit team on his @$$ didn't bode well for the Jumper's plight. Lin-Keui was prepared to make good on his threat and already had three TRIADE Tower regional CEO's on stand-by in the Americas to send teams after the Calaveri's.
True to form, Knowledge never fails to make a dramatic entrance:
Frost & Mileena lead North from the lift down the long hallway to Akira's sitting room. Flanking him are a dozen Hand elite assassins, all of whom have weapons drawn and attention focused entirely on the Jumper. Before they had reached the halfway point of the corridor, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Tsugi Lin-Keui emerged and blocked the passage.
North: "Awe fuck, here we go..."
The flanking Hand assassins all immediately bowed to Tsugi but Mileena and Frost however did not return the same courtesy.
Tsugi: "I will take it from here."
Frost: "Begging your forgiveness sister but my orders come from Lord Akira himself. They are as inviolable as the laws of heaven."
Tsugi: "I commend your devotion but there are forces at work here that even my father does not understand-"
Frost: "Be that as it may...I MUST obey Lord Akira's will."
Lin-Keui stepped back from Frost as Scorpion & Sub-Zero take her place. Mileena & Frost on the otherhand seem suprised that Tsugi is willing to order the Tsurimatsuo to attack each other.
Tsugi: "My father will not live forever."
North: "Just tell them already...she's gonna KILL her father and assume contr-"
As soon as Tsugi put her hand to her wakizashi, EVERYONE started to lose their sh1t. Scorpion began to twirl his Shoge Hook while Sub-Zero drew his Vibro-Katana. Mileena had her pair of Hyperdense Sai spinning while Frost began to chill the air around her while preparing an icy attack. The dozen Hand elites only stood back.
North: "Struck a nerve did I? Speaking of nerves...(he glances at Scorpion)...nice tan lines Bunny-Eyes."
(The deathlook Scorpion gives the Jumper almost makes Phil believe he has gone too far.)
Tsugi: "You-have-a-deathwish."
North: "Said the woman trying to assassinate the most powerful Yakuza Lord in the world."
Before Tsugi could retort, the door to her father's office opened causing light to spill into the darkened corridor.
Akira: "Am I interupting something?*"
Tsugi: "I have this under control father...it need not concern you.*"
Akira: "What have I taught you about minding your place?*"
(*= Spoken in Japanese)
North could tell the final comment was a particularly hard biscuit for Tsugi to swallow but she released her wakizashi and clenched her fists before standing aside.
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
North: "Maybe next time darlin'."
Tsugi: "I will not permit you to leave this building alive."
North: "That's funny....I was just thinking the SAME thing about you."
The smug look of self-entitlement drained from her face at the remark.
Phil: "THREE!!! THREE MOTHERF'KERS!!!"
Greg: "...."
Mike: "Sweet."
GM: "Needless to say, the intimidation check succeeds and rattles her enough to chase her from the hall with her lackey's in tow. She may even decide not to face him directly next time...UNLESS the odds are in her favor."
Greg: "!!!"
Phil: "What does that mean?"
GM: "You'll see..."
The truth of the matter was despite his cool exterior, Knowledge was nearly sh1tting himself. Pushing the boundaries of acceptable conduct in a foreign society and somehow not being immediately killed for his rudeness. Like a moth to a flame, North wondered where that boundary lay.
Mileena and Frost both took up flanking positions behind Lord Akira as the Elites lined the carpet which lead to their lord's shrine.
Akira: "I do not see Doctor Hoo with you...was I not clear what I would do if you failed me?"
North kept his unimpressed expression as he tossed a flashdrive at Lin-Keui.
Akira: "What's this?"
North: "A list."
Akira: "For what?"
North: "You want Looking Glass and Hoo...I GOING to deliver them to you but I need 72 more hours and I need EVERYTHING on that list."
Akira mutters something unintellible, even for those who speak Japanese.
North: "TRIADE Tower is undergoing a major security software upgrade in three days...their system will be offline for ten minutes...that's the ONLY way to get to Looking Glass."
Akira: "TEN MINUTES?! To reach Looking Glass and escape the heart of TRIADE Tower?!"
North: "No, I'm going to use the Looking Glass to escape."
Akira: "HOW can you do this?!"
North: "I have an insider."
Lord Akira was intrigued by the westerner's boldness. But to escape using Looking Glass...it was so completely outrageous that he instantly believed the Jumper and VERY much like his TRIADE counterpart, wondered if North could fill a role in his organization. He wondered if he could be the next Smoke...
Greg: "NO-F'KING-WAY!!!"
Phil: "YEESSSS!!! Yes-yes-yes!"
Mike: "But it does present a considerable morale dilemna."
GM: "Aye sir."
Phil: "Whoa, "dilemna"? What do you mean?"
Mike: "Allow me: Right now, you have two possibilties in this situation that can only resolve if you betray one for the other. On the one hand, you might go the Shaolin route (which seems to be your plan) OR you could go the Lin-Keui route...but whichever one you choose...the other will consider you an enemy."
Phil: "But only Lin-Keui knows I'm Nimbus right?"
GM: "That you know of, yes."
Phil: "Well...I GUESS I'm Shaolin then...."
GM: "Don't sound so heartbroken. Y'know, you could always just STEAL Smoke's armor...you're just gonna screw 'em over anyways, right?"
Phil: "!!!"
Greg: "DON'T SAY THAT?! GM'S AREN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT?!"
Mike: "They aren't?"
GM: "I'm not?"
Greg: "He didn't buy "Common Sence"!"
GM: "That's not really "Common sence"."
Greg: "Why not?"
GM: "Since when did "Common Sence" ever involve stealing?"
(Mike snikkers)
Greg: "Well, what if-"..."How abou-"..."So like when-"..."Awe, f'k."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Akira: "I will provide what you ask for but know this..."
North: "Lemme guess: You'll play "Seven Degress of Knowledge North" and kill, rape or torture to death anyone on that list for as long as humanly possible. That's basically it right?"
(Phil pushes a bit too far.)
Akira: "I may have that done even if you ARE successful."
Phil: "D@mnit."
North: "Your daughter is going to be a problem. She might compromise my efforts and she's NOT going to back down."
The Yakuza Lord hesitated then sighed before speaking...
Akira: "Do what you must."
Mike: "Holy sh1t, daughter wants to kill father...father willing to murder daughter?"
Greg: "Shakespeare would be proud."
Phil: "Where's the mommy anyways?"
GM: "That's a GOOD question...you should look into it!"
Mike: "IT'S SINDEL!!!"
GM: "Negative."
Mike: "Chun-Li?"
GM: "That's Streetfighter."
Mike: "A Ladyboy?"
GM: "That's just wrong."
Phil: "The scary old crow from the animated Jackie Chan adventures?"
GM: "Dude, use the Research skill and do it from a secure terminal."
North looked around for a computer terminal...
GM: "Do you not know what the word "secure" means?"
Phil: "Huh?"
Mike: "You're going to use a computer terminal belonging to the man who is blackmailing you to look up potentially d@mning information on his wife while he's STILL in the SAME room?"
North gazed longingly at Akira's display case which held the coveted "Smoke" Tsurimatsuo armor...
GM: "Smooth."
North: "May I ask you something?"
Akira: "If you must."
North: "What will you do when you get home? I must confess, for least a decade...I thought about it every single bloody day."
Akira: "From one Jumper to another...I will go back to 1913 and change the course of history."
Knowledge began to furrow his brow at Akira's potential goal.
North: "You want to stop Jekyll Island."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Greg: "Oh, THAT'S f'king brilliant..."
Phil: "Wha'?"
Greg: "...eliminate the Darwins...the Astors...Wedgeworths...Rockafellers...all the other Trans-humanists in one fell swoop! This would pre-date the League of Nations! All you'd have to do it eliminate the House of Windsor-"
Mike: "Phil, I hate to say it...but choosing the Shaolin route MAY have been the biggest mistake you've made all game."
Phil: "NNOOOOOOO!!! Can't I just make a NEW plan and join with Akira, I could go WITH him?!"
GM: "You'd betray Hoo? You heartless b@$tard!"
(Phil buried his head under a couch cushion and screams.)
Akira: "I was so certain THAT would not be your first question."
North: "Oh?"
Akira: "I was convinced you would ask me how we discovered you were Neem-bis."
("F'k, f'k, f'k, f'k, f'k, FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF'KKKKKKKKKKK!!! NOW I see where the daughter got it from!")
Phil: "I apparently broke the "wrong" nose."
North: "What difference does it make now? I can't undo what's done."
Akira: "Ask me me how I know YOU are Stormfront."
The little voice in North's head had become a shout and it was yelling for him to leave immediately...but Knowledge had to keep pushing to the limit.
North: "Look at you...you can't WAIT to tell me. Fine, how?"
A familiar voice called out from the darkness behind him:
D.B.: "'Ello, baby...you miss me?"
Greg: "!!!"
Phil: "..."
D.B. Only (oh, why mince words) KANO emerged from the shadows adorned in A.S.P. Viper Commando armor. He had recently recovered from Boomeroid enhancement surgery. His right arm had been replaced with a metallic cybernetic prothetic and his spinal cord reinforced to compensate for weight distribution. His right eye had been replaced with a tactical occular implant & integral HUD-Link port. It was tied into a nano-sized computer implanted just beneath his right ear. Although it MUST have been excruciatingly painful, DB/Kano had his vital organs suspended/reinforced in bioplas. He was now 24% Boomer.
(At 51% replacement, a human legally stops being a person and becomes "property". They lose all rights to life and can be summarily "retired" for any breach of protocol. The only legal recourse in most nations to "circumvent" some of these laws is to work exclusively for the military or para-military organizations such as ESWAT or ADP. This law is the primary means by which the future state controls Cyborgs & Boomeroids. They can't afford to have "weapons of mass destruction", like a Hecaton just wandering the streets of the nation.)
Kano was armed with a pair of silenced Takao T-5 10mm caseless pistols, predecessor to the Takao T-20b in Battlefield 2142. He prefered a Large Vibro-Bowie but DB's was extensively customized to resemble the version from the first MK motion picture. A tactical vest held spare ammo and an array of detonators, grenades and laser limpet explosives and over his back in a quick-draw holster, a sawed-off 18.5mm triple barrel caseless shotgun. Kano's primary weapon was the "signature" A.S.P. pulse laser carbine which he wielded single-handedly with his bionic replacement.
Greg: "Phil, I am going to kick your f'kin' @$$!"
Phil: "In front of Akira? Nah, I'm his golden boy."
North: "What's the meaning of this?"
Akira: "Mister North...meet your new partner."
Phil & Greg: "SONNOVA B1TCH!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
North: "Akira, do you REALIZE what you've done?!"
The assembled Tsurimatsuo didn't react well to Knowledge's raised voice but paused shy of drawing blades.
North: "A.S.P. will BETRAY you and take Looking Glass!"
Akira: "You can not speak this way of my son-in-law."
Phil & Greg: "WHAT!?!?!"
Greg: "Tell me I'm not married to Tsugi."
(Mike is cracking up.)
Greg: "Dude...why aren't you saying anything? You're supposed to be saying: "No, dude...you're not married to crazy woman Phil keeps getting away from"! "
GM: "..."
Phil: "You got married? And you didn't tell me?!"
Greg: "OMG."
GM: "On the brightside: she's so rich you couldn't POSSIBLY lose it all even if you had seven lifetimes to squander it...that and you could actually afford to HAVE several lifetimes!"
Greg: "On the "con" side: She's a psycho! She'll blast through six of those lives in no time."
GM: "Who just so happens to despise the EXACT same person that YOU do."
Greg: "Oh...hmmm...what if I asked her to make me a sammich?"
GM: "I f'king DARE you to say that!"
Greg: "What's the WORST that could happen?"
GM: "Dude, she could chop off your weiner, choke you to death with it and you wouldn't be able to do SQUAT to stop it."
Greg: "I almost beat North ALL the time."
GM: "No you didn't...MAIM kicked your keister LAST time. The time YOU encountered him last he nearly blew your head off several times even though his skills averaged 13-14 and ya had him by a point in most cases. NOW they average 15-16. NOW he's got YOU by a point skill-wise, and in many cases by MORE than just one point. You may be physically stronger than he is but the numbers say (eventually) he's gonna wear you down and THEN he'll kick your butt. Barring (of course) any unforseen critical success on your part or critical failure on his."
Greg: "Screw the skills...it's that bloody luck of his."
Phil: "Ridiculous Luck IS hard to beat."
North: "I know this man-"
Akira: "Yes...he has shared this with me also."
North: "He'll destroy the Lin-Keui."
GM: "Dude...YOU intend to destroy the Lin-Keui."
Phil: "But THEY don't know that."
Greg: "I still don't understand why Phil doesn't just kill him now?"
Phil: "With what? He's unarmed...there's 14 of them not counting YOU and Akira."
GM: "Plus Tsugi isn't there and he has to be sure to get them BOTH otherwise, what's the point? Unfortunately Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Frost and Mileena likely know as well (as Akira or Tsugi talked about you in front of them). To keep Stormfront's secret you'd have to kill THEM as well.
Phil: "I don't have a problem with that."
Akira: "My son-in-law says you can never be trusted and that you will say anything or do anything to accomplish your goals."
North: "Sounds more like he's talking about himself or Stevenson."
Only's remaining eye begin's to twtch at the mention of this.
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
DB: "Gary is a GREAT man! He saved my life...you have no idea what it's like out there...what the Wardogs did to me-"
North: "Boo-f'king-Hoo...no one put a gun to your head and screamed "eat human flesh" you half-witted f'kmook...NO ONE stuck a gun to your head and said MURDER YOUR BEST FRIENDS and ANYONE beside them...YOU did that ALL by yourself."
Akira: "I see I have made the perfect choice."
The Yakuza leader handed North's flashdrive off to Kano.
Akira: "Get him everything he needs."
D.B. returned an A.S.P. salute and went to fulfil his father-in-laws wishes with no further prompting. Once more, Knowledge's attention returned to the gleaming black combat armor in the giant display case.
Akira: "You like Smoke?"
Knowledge nodded, seemingly hypnotized by the lines of the clamshell.
North: "I have a feeling this armor comes with too high a price. Besides...you expect me to believe you haven't already promised it to number one son-in-law?"
Akira: "He may be worthy of my daughter...but he is NOT worthy to be Smoke."
North: "I think we BOTH know Tsugi is Smoke now...and she's not going to wait for you to die to take over the family business either. What did you DO to that woman that made her love and revile you so?"
Akira: "She wasn't born a son."
Phil: "Dude...I feel bad for her now."
North: "Kano will use her to destroy Lin-Keui."
Akira: "Everybody dies, Mister North...it's simply a matter of when."
North: "I prefer to think of it as "how" you check out that's more important...not "when"...but that's just me."
Akira: "Fortune favors the bold?"
North: "Something like that...life in every breath."
Akira: "You mean Bushido?"
North: "Back when I was still in the Waycross M.F.P., with some explosive implant in my head that could go off for any reason? I was taught to embrace "life in every breath"...but I learned it from an indian and a tree. Surely, I'd have died a long time ago without it but it'll be the death of me yet."
Akira: "How many lives have YOU claimed?"
Phil: "TEN THOUSAND!!!"
Greg: "You have NOT killed ten thousand people."
Mike: "After factoring in satellite strikes, artillary barrages..."
Greg: "Not ten thousand!"
GM: "After 19 years of murder and mayhem he may not have "killed" ten thousand opponents but he has certainly "bested" ten thousand opponents. Some he just knocked out, some he just disabled, some he only winged and some were just left stunned. Perhaps a little under half recovered with prompt medical attention...which they wouldn't always be guarenteed to recieve."
Phil: "And the rest?"
GM: "What? Y'mean like the LDSF Overwatch Commander you shot through the oak door with an 85mm recoiless rifle?"
Phil: "YEAH!"
GM: "Nah, they're paste."
North: "Not sure...gotta be more than 5000 by now."
Akira: "YOU LIE."
North: "I do not! Seems to happen mostly in "clusters" but averaged out? That's like less than one per day."
(Holy sh1t...that's Five-zero-zero-zero lives lost! 5000 fathers and brothers and cousins and nephews and uncles...and let's not forget all the allies that fell in the line of duty. The body count is staggering!)
North: "And you...(If you don't mind me asking)...how many lives have you taken?"
Akira: "Seven billion. That is how many I am willing to sacrifice, once I have Looking Glass."
North: "SEVEN billion? How can you kill SEVEN billion people?"
Akira: "You can not kill someone who NEVER existed in the first place."
GM: "So, you're not really "murdering" someone per-se...you simply remove them from existance. More like an "entropic violation" than manslaughter."
Mike: "Oh, man...it's a GOOD thing we are killing this guy!"
Phil: "..."
Greg: "I think we should side with HIM over TRIADE. Odd Kat just wants to get fat but Lin-Keui has some SERIOUS plans. They are going places...they are motivated...and the have the cash reserves to pay TOP DOLLAR for our services."
Phil: "You want Stormfront to work FOR the Yakuza?!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
GM: "Have you completely flipped out? You're supposed to be the heroes."
Greg: "Are you saying I can't?"
GM: "I'm saying it's Phil's choice. Going solo is expressly verbotten by charter, BUT you can choose to do so outside of Stormfront. As for North, joining the Yakuza is almost certainly going to come into conflict with his Vow and Sence of Duty."
Greg: "Morals have no place in an rpg."
GM: "You have bigger fish to fry. Kano-"
Greg: "D.B.!!!"
GM: "Fine, D.B. is going to HAVE to be dealt with. He's a constant surveillance threat with that eye of his recording everything and transmitting it in real-time...most likely to Gary Stevenson or A.S.P."
Mike: "I think it's safe to say he WILL-KILL-YOU once you are no longer deemed necessary to the mission."
(Greg wrings his hands in dastardly fashion while giggling like a maniac.)
(Phil inches away from Greg.)
Akira was no fool. While he had faith in the plan as it was related to him, he didn't share the same faith in the plan's author. He needed insurance against the unpredictable Jumper. As per D.B.'s advice, the target would be Calaveri Concepts and it's CEO's.
Lisa & Catherine arrived at the entrance site about three hours after Bec's & Erica. An unfamilar bike was also in the parking structure...a primer black classic Katana gas-burning crotch-rocket.
Cathy: "Who do you think THAT is?"
Lisa: "Maybe it's Erica's."
Cathy: "Maim only buys American and she had North's chopper."
Lisa: "I see Becca's ride but no chopper. Maybe she couldn't find Erica."
Cathy: "I guess we'll find out."
Lisa: "You don't suppose something happened to the American Dream do you?"
Cathy: "I hope she wrecked it."
Upon arriving at C&C, they were greeted by Erica Gunn, Rebecca Ayers and Jimmy Martinez all dressed in tactical armor and armed to the teeth. Pops remained at the security monitor as greetings were exchanged.
Lisa: "I didn't miss the party did I?"
Rebecca: "You're just in time."
Erica: "Those "nearby" coordinates correspond to an abandoned airfield...(she locks & loads her rifle)...I think we should pay it a visit."
Cathy: "Are we going to war?"
Rebecca: "Negative, this is a recon sortie."
Lisa: "Are we taking the suits?"
Rebecca: "Negative...until you've ALL been brought up to speed on the new upgrades to the Suits & Slaves, they stay behind."
Lisa: "How are we getting there?"
Rebecca: "We'll take the converti-cars."
Erica: "I FINALLY get to drive that Lamborghini!!"
Rebecca: "You're riding shotgun Hop-a-Long."
Erica: "@#$%^&!"
Rebecca: "Everyone meets back here. We move out in 30."
Jimmy: "What should I do?"
Rebecca: "We have reason to suspect someone will come gunning for Calaveri. I want you to stake-out Catherine's home and see who shows up. Check in every four hours...someone will be listening for you."
Jimmy: "And if someone shows? Shouldn't I take 'em out?"
Rebecca: "Do NOT engage...do NOT give yourself away."
Erica: "Martinez is right...it might just be safer to ambush them NOW instead of having them ambush us later."
Rebecca: "To a hammer, everything look like a nail..."
Erica: "What's THAT supposed to mean?"
Rebecca: "It means: Just follow them Jimmy, keep us apprised."
Jimmy: "M'on it."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Pops brought up three more flashdrives, handing one to Maim.
Gi-San: "You'll LOVE what I did to your weapon suite."
Erica: "You finally fix Hurricane's rocket cannon?"
Gi-San: "Just like you asked. I tested out some new power cells from Halpern. Now I can boost individual output by 43-50%. The amount of "hard points" on the suits frame have doubled so I've increased the onboard firepower by 76% and even added some anti-voomer/ECCM blisters that should increase the armor's resistance to being subverted by rogues. I've even addressed your concern that the railgun spikes weren't big enough for larger targets...(Pops chucks the normal 6" long 0.5mmx0.5mm tungsten sliver and hands her a foot long 1mmx1mm hyperdense "Pilum" rod)...it replaces one of your normal railguns and you've only got six shots with it, but it'll put a hole clean through a reinforced military model like a BU-12."
Erica: "Micheal-FREAKIN'-angelo...I love this man!"
Pops turns to the Paladin...
Gi-San: "Ya should EVEN be able to stand toe-to-toe with a BU-50 and not work up too much of a sweat. Individual weapon outputs have been increased as well. Not as much as I wanted because we keep melting out the N-PAWS firing lenses and the Banshee keeps overloading the helmet's tactical features. (For-your-eyes-only...Plasma Tanto...you have one consealed on each hip now...make ya feel like Robocop.) Your upgraded flightpack now tops out at 500mph. That extra speed will take some getting used to...no matter how strong we make a Hard Suit's shell, 500mph into the side of a building is still fatal."
Erica: "Forget the man that broke the sound barrier...the man who figures out how to hit the ground at mach one and survive is likely to become a rich man."
Gi-San: "Challenge Accepted!"
The team opted for Tactical Stealth Suits with Active Camo for this Op:
- Erica/Tempest chose a Belgian-made bullpup converted FN-FAL 7.62mm Battle Rifle as primary with underbarrel PK-Series CCB rocket munitions launcher. Her back-up pieces consisted of her favorite Colt M-1911A1 and her new recent "flavor of the month", the modular Member II 7.92mm Mauser sidearm. For up-close work, she use either a heavily modified durasteel fire-axe or her consealed monowire-edged belt buckle blade. On her belt were a series of defensive grenades and a Blastmaster double-barrel 18.5mm side-by-side shotgun pistol.
Mike: "Dude...this isn't Iwo Jima...WTF are you doing? R-E-C-O-N...not A-S-S-A-U-L-T."
(Greg raspberries mike.)
- Rebecca/Cyclone went with a Matsucorp M-42C Pulse Carbine, similar to the one from Aliens except with no grenade launcher, no stock, reduced barrel length with a suppressor system and no carrying handle/scope brace inherent in the weapon frame. Her back-up was always the same...Ruger .454 Caskull. Over her back she slung Lord Damian's sword and at her side a large kukri. She sported no explosives.
Greg: "Pu$$y."
- Lisa/Vortex took a silenced UAW with underbarrel 18.5mm shotgun mount. As a secondary, she opted for a pair of Inglis silenced caseless 7.5mm medium pistols. To supplement her firepower, she wore a glove-disguised holdout force-beamer and for a more personal touch...a improved shockglove on the other hand. Like the Paladin she too does not carry explosives.
Greg: "I-DON'T-BELIEVE-THIS?"
Phil: "Recon, not: I-AM-GODZILLA!!! YOU-ARE-JAPAN!!! Recon, dude."
- Catherine/Torrent substituted her normal sidearm for a pair of Micro-Uzi machine pistols with matching shoulder straps. On her back was a revolutionary new hierloom computer/cyberdeck/multi-scanner & jammer system being "unofficially" field-tested by Halpern. At under 5 lbs, thanks to salesman technology, it makes her the ultimate cyberpunk triple-threat and enables her to be more than just a pretty face with a gun.
Greg: "..."
It was 3:14am in San Antonio as the pair of converti-cars came into sight of the airfield. Both vehicles sported advanced FLIR & ALLTV systems enabling them to easily confirm the base as abandoned even from a considerable distance. Maintaining a N.O.E. flight postures, the 5000SS circled around the lower airfield as the Pantera buzzed the flight terminus, activating its remote floodlights to peer into the aging structure while making a gentle low-altitude pass of the facility.
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Erica: "Something's here...I can FEEL it!"
Cathy: "Th' place looks dead."
Rebecca: "You found those coordinates?"
Cathy: "I'm over them right now...looks like a hanger."
Lisa: "I say: land and take a closer look."
Rebecca: "Any transmissions coming from it?"
Cathy: "Yup, single pulse...its a beacon, except..."
Rebecca: "'Cept what?"
Cathy: "...without 4th generation Halpern sensors, you'd never know it was there. There's only a handful of arrays in the America's that would be able to detect it and they'd all require a ridiculous amount of energy and time to accomplish the task."
Rebecca: "Ridiculous?"
Cathy: "It would take them years if they didn't know what they were looking for."
Erica: "A stealth beacon?"
Rebecca: "Who control those arrays?"
Cathy: "Halpern Security Concepts owns all but one."
Rebecca: "Who owns the last one?"
Cathy: "WE do."
The pair of interceptors form up and begin their decent. They perform a transforming road landing (instead of a VTOL-version "stop & drop") before pulling up to the hanger area and rolling to a stop. The team emerged from their cars and fanned out towards the hanger, maintaining silence as they advanced towards the structure. The half-buried concrete hanger was sealed by massive solid steel doors that would obviously require power to manipulate.
Erica: "Told ya we should've brought more explosives..."
Rebecca: "Try broadcasting that security code. Maybe somebody is listening?"
Cathy: "I'll have to flash it across the spectrum...may take a little bit."
But within seconds, a circular metallic iris, which up till that point had been buried by sand, yawned open and nearly threatened to swallow Lisa and Rebecca in the process.
Cathy: "O-okay...NOW, I'm getting readings."
Maim almost slapped her.
The team decended into the tunnel with weapons at the ready but found nothing at the bottom but sand and reinforced concrete tunnel. The first thing that struck them was it's size. Although circular in nature, it was at least 50 yards in diametre. The ladder decended down to a stairwell which stretched to floor level below. At the bottom was small parking area which held 5 motorcycles, each in one the teams suit colors...
Mike: "This ISN'T an enemy base."
Phil: "Oooooh...I am SO glad you talked me out of betraying Hoo!"
Storm's Eye was a large facility but THIS one was positively breathtaking in size by comparison. Hoo had indeed outdone herself. Managing to facilitate the purchase of the entire base from the Chinese government (who OWNED that particular patch of land and went to GREAT lengths to "cultivate" it!) using electronic currency which Hoo had "forged" by using heirloom anti-encryption technology to crack the otherwise flawless digital currency.
(Yes, she crashed the value slightly in the process but it recovered...eventually...sorta...)
It was a vertiable underground city. It could EASILY have had an occupancy of 50K and showed signs (at least on the inside) of the site having been recently "prepped". The first section they came to (being closest to the hanger) was the launchpad. In the dark, on a telescoping platform, sat berthed perhaps the most advanced VTOL in the world. A prototype concept that was discarded the Chinese Authority but completed by Hoo under various shell companies and had it assembled in San Antonio. The Skycarrier lacked the feul capasity to make the trans-oceanic trip to Poseidon, but the Knightwing's reactionless thrusters and compact reactor wouldn't need to be refeuled for 25 years. It was capable of breaking the sound barrier (very nearly mach two which is impossible for a VTOL) and was built "heirloom" from the ground up. Few craft exist that can detect it. Most modern guided-weapon systems are unable to acquire weapons locks. It's onboard weapon systems are of a highly expiramental nature and as far as Hoo knows, are unique to the group. It is capable of carrying four Hard Suits and Battlemovers (usually three Motoslaves & the J-Type) plus 1000lbs in assorted ordinace & munitions at a comfortable cruising speed of 1080mph. It EVEN had a miniaturized trauma centre onboard.
(A vast improvement over the Skycarrier's lazy 220mph top speed and 375 mile operational range!)
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace
CONTINUATION...
The Knightwing's dual retractable Synchro-Cannons worked well in the testing stages but don't seem reliable in the final product. Its also mounts a pair of forward facing Reflex missile batteries and a chin turret-mounted dual Gattling Field-Jacketed Variable Spectrum Laser Cannons. The craft's main dish can (with minor modification) also be used as a Microwave Cannon or EMP Pulsewave Generator. A vehicular variant of the Banshee Sonic Disruptor (called the Devastator) also inluded in the chin turret for variety of dispatch. The main array can also be used to augment Catherine's suits ability to nano-manipulate Boomers and similar machines remotely. The one of craft's anti-theft features included a variable setting TAZER built into the exterior hull plating.
Greg: "O-M-G!"
Mike: "Jeebuz...are we going to war?"
Greg: "Synchro-Cannons?! Reflex Missiles?!"
Phil: "I have a question...can anybody fly it?"
(The players fall silent.)
GM: "Aheh-heheheh."
Greg: "Cathy & Bec's can fly VTOL's!"
GM: "They can fly converti-cars but expecting them to be able to fly the Knightwing is a bit like expecting someone who knows how to drive a car to be able to pilot a mecha."
Mike: "Dude, it IS afterall just an expiramental flying nuclear reactor and if you mistreat it, you and five square mi-"
GM: "Ten."
Mike: "TEN square mil-"..."Ten?"..."Ten square miles of Texas will go poof right along with you."
Greg: "FFFFFFFFFFF'KKKKKKK!!!"
Lisa: "Only one person I know can tame a beast like that on such short notice..."
Sally O'Shea had not been heard from in quite some time. She spent most of her days in Houston following the FLA-500, re-establishing connections with her mostly estranged family. She didn't have to work (what with 420K banked after Florida) but found little else to do with her time if not persuing the life of a soldier. She had fallen out of touch with the other Swords after Brewster's death (like Lisa) made her second guess her path in life. For a while, she was adjusting rather well but after a few monthes, she found herself growing restless. Without the adrenaline rush of combat, everything in her life became muted...faded...like a bad copy. She tried to fight it but eventually, she began to go out looking for trouble. Being the persuasive sort she is, she found it rather quickly. Local loan sharks had taken to threatening Sally's neighbor for being light on a payment. Needless to say, she took offence at their lack courtesy and proceeded to hospitalize the pair in short order. The first hint their driver had that something was amiss only occured when the ambulance had arrived to scrape up his cohorts. The responce? The loan shark burnt down the apartment building with everyone in it. Most escaped unharmed but for Sally and her family...a line had been crossed. For monthes they scoped out his operation and once they were certain they had found the group responsible for the tragedy...they eliminated them...old school IRA-style. Car bombs, garrotings, shotgun execution squads, decoys and ambushes...the entire organization (of 16 thugs) wiped out in less than 24 hours by 3 people. Local police attempted to take credit for the sudden drop in crime but everyone in the neighborhood knew what had happened and who was really responsible. The Block had only just returned to a semblance of normality when Lisa finally managed to establish a connection with Sally's link.
Sally: "B1tch, you NEVER call...how the f'k are you?!"
Lisa: "I've been keeping busy. I hope you've been staying out of trouble."
Sally: "Y'know me."
Lisa: "You make bail yet?"
Sally: "VERY funny! Y'know...you NEVER call me up unless things are really bad. They're REALLY bad aren't they?"
Lisa: "Yeah...you could say that."
Sally: "You still at the same place."
Lisa: "The one in the country, yeah."
Sally: "See ya when I see ya."
Lisa: "Sal...one more thing. Lin-Keui knows North is Nimbus. Who knows what else they might know...now might be a good time for family and friends to get outta town till this blows over...just to be safe."
Sally: "'Preciate it Lise...I miss anything else?"
Lisa: "North made Bec's leader of Stormfront."
Sally: "WTF?! I'M ON MY WAY!!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Stormfront can still be seen standing in Hoo's underground facility.
Rebecca: "How'd she sound?"
Lisa: "Like she hadn't slept in a long time..."
Rebecca: "Wonderful."
Lisa: "...but VERY enthusiastic."
Maim: "You should SEE the motorpool...there's whole an armored column down there including half dozen Super-MBT's!!"
Rebecca: "Really? What kind?"
Maim: "They look like T-162's!"
(Basically four times the size of a Soviet T-90 which sport twin 120mm electro-thermal hypervelocity guns in a single turret or swap out a single gun for a ZSU-style ladar-controlled anti-air cannon. Most variants carry the chinese equivalent of an ATGM or SAM Launcher and in addition to 2 co-axial and one hatch mounted KPV 14.5mm machineguns, it also carries a pair of RPK 7.62mm light machineguns and a discharger system that is routinely loaded with wide array of chemical weapons. Designed primarily for combat in the mega-fortress cities of the future it is easily immobilized by porous or soft terrains.)
Phil: "!!!"
Greg: "Are the Chinese declaring war on 'Murica?"
Mike: "Looks like someone had been planning SOMETHING."
Phil: "Guys...we can COMPLETELY "restock" the Swords of Texas!"
GM: "There's enough soviet military surplus & ammo down there to sustain a small war for years. JUST don't eat the Chinese M.R.E.'s!"
Greg: "They poisoned?"
GM: "Well, you CAN eat em...they ARE edible. JUST don't ask what's IN them."
Phil: "I'll just read the ingrediants off the side of the pack."
GM: "I dunno...do you fluent in Mandarin?"
Greg: "ALL the vehicle controls are labeled in CHINESE!?!"
GM: "Aheh-hehe-hehehehh...and the instruction manuals too."
Greg: "F'K!!"
Cathy: "Maim isn't exagerating...there's enough illegal ordinace down here to ensure every decendent we have till the end of the world would do time for what we have stored here. There's more firepower here than you will find in most small countries."
Lisa: "What in damnation was Hoo thinking?"
Erica: "You think North knew about this?"
Rebecca: "If he did, he wouldn't have spent so much time making Storm's Eye as comfortable as he did."
Cathy: "There's sh1t down here even I haven't heard of and we've only seen 10% of this place."
Erica: "I betcha ANYTHING there's a MiG somewhere down here..."
Lisa: "You're ON."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
In the end, they would discover some BMP's, Vodnik's, ATAV's, Sukhoi ceramic engine Motorcycles , a trio of Hind Mi-24yx gunships and even chinese-made TS-37...but a MiG was nowhere to be found.
(An incomplete Ekranoplane WAS located on site but those were never built by Migoyen so Erica lost the bet.)
Kano had just finished filling up North's shopping list and had returned to Lord Akira's shrine to find the pair engrossed in conversation. Knowledge was not a typical "ignorant westerner" as much as Akira was not a typical "brutal crimelord". Although completely different in the way they each advanced to their current status in the world, their experiences of on Autodeul seemed strangely similar. This was when Knowledge made up his mind to tell Akira of his past vision-quests in the hopes that he could shed some light on the subject. Lin-Keui was speechless.
He had ALSO been lead to his current station in life by what he refered to as "waking dreams" which would take hold of him in times of great stress.
Phil: "Stress! Could it be that the visions are triggered by intense physical or mental stress?"
Mike: "Perhaps both?"
Greg: "Ah-Soooooo!"
GM: "Ahehe-hehehh, You @$$hole....point."
Greg: "Ancient chinese secret boys!"
GM: "Don't push it."
Breaking with character...North HAD to ask:
North: "What about you D.B.? Have YOU had visions as well?"
Greg: "Have I?"
GM: "Yes, you did...but it's up to you whether or not to share it. You and your father-in-law never talked about your past. You are both Jumper's...Akira knows this but only Tsugi knows about your time with the Wardogs and not even Tsugi knows about your life BEFORE the Wardogs. You don't like discussing your little "psychotic break" at the border diner."
Greg: "Sigh. Seems like only yesterday..."
D.B.: "It's what lead me to KC-1 and Gary Stevenson, just after Moulin declared me to be Wardog main course #1."
(Greg had been absent for the session when Stormfront left KC-1 after the year-long lockdown following the Rogue Boomer incident and so it REALLY bugged the snot outta him a failed Perception check had been the only thing separating the two. That he literally drove passed them at the main gates, arriving JUST as the Mayhem's convoy was departing...both D.B. & Mee-Chan in opposite lanes, stuck in traffic. Had either one of them even glanced across before circulation resumed, they'd have seen the other less than 4 yards away.)
North: "It felt like more than a dream right?"
D.B.: "It HAD to be more than just a dream...it happened exactly like I saw it."
A brief silence fell across the shrine until Mee-Chan slowly starts to walk towards Kano-
Greg: "D.B.!!!"
GM: "Whatever..."
North: "There's something I've ALWAYS wanted to ask you..."
(Greg looks confused at Phil's course of action)
North: "...why did you try to throw me to Moulin that first time? I had SAVED your @$$!! I RESCUED you...he ordered me to KILL you but I risked everything to get us BOTH outta there...and you threw me to the f'kin' dogs anyways. We COULD have beat him together but you turned on me...you f'king SHOT me! Every-single-g0d-d@mned-day my shoulder...ACHES...like a cheese grate scratching my nerve endings off...(North made a fist with that hand and his knuckles pop unusually loud, apparently causing discomfort)...and whenever I feel that, I wonder...why did you do that?"
North finishes speaking & walking, now aggressively standing right in D.B.'s face with noses only a few inches away.
Mike: "I think they're gonna kiss."
Phil: "Hey, square...y'wanna go 'eh? 'Cause I'm the one with the pool cue who'll stick it straight up y'r arse!"
Mike: "BIGBY RULZ!!!"
GM: "You don't REALLY say that do you?"
Phil: "Nooo, sir."
GM: "Kewl...I love Trainspotting too...point."
Greg: "Wait...are you REALLY trying to FIGHT me?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
D.B.: "It was a long time ago and to be honest, I don't really remember-"
North: "YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO KILL ME FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS! Almost two decades...TWO...and after all this time you mean to tell me that you don't even know WHY you've been doing it?! That's a load of cr@p and you KNOW it."
D.B.: "Y'know, this really isn't the bes-"
Akira: "ANSWER HIM!!*"
(*= Spoken in Japanese)
D.B.: "I-I was sick...but I'm BETTER now."
North: "I watched you shoot a 14 year old boy in the face-"
D.B.: "I-WAS-AIMING-AT-YOU!!!"
North: "What about the other eleven? Were they just "in the way" too? I read somewhere that most of the hostages you shot were drilled in the back of the head? I figured the news wouldn't lie about something like that but I have to know. I remember four or five going down in the crossfire but did you really execute all those people...tearing the place apart looking for me?"
D.B.: "The Wardogs made me do far worse than that."
North: "But you weren't with them until AFTER you shot me."
Kano fell silent once more.
Akira: "I SAID ANSWER HIM!*"
D.B.: "YOU WANNA KNOW WHY?! I'LL TELL YOU WHY...YOU'RE F'KING DOING IT RIGHT NOW JUST LIKE YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE!! IT JUST COMES SO EASY FOR YOU!! I do my best every f'king day in this sh1thole world and I get NOTHING!! I worked my @$$ off JUST to get THIS far and have the "privalege" of wiping this grey hairs crusty @$$ only to be sh1t on NO MATTER WHAT-I-DO!! And everytime I think i'm ahead...everytime I think I can have something for me, FOR MYSELF...along YOU come and just TAKE it all away! I have been married to this ungrateful fossils DAUGHTER for YEARS now but YOU...barely been here a week but already, HE LIKE YOU BETTER THAN ME AND I AM SICK OF IT!!"
Akira: "LEAVE NOW!!"
Kano throws North's bag at him with his bionic arm and storms away. Catching it nearly takes Knowledge off his feet.
Phil: "Waaah-waahhhhh!"
GM: "No, man...that was pretty good! Point for SURE!"
(Greg takes a bow.)
(Mike delivers a golf clap.)
(Phil raspberries Greg.)
North doesn't skip a beat and immediately checks the contents of the duffle.
North: "Something's missing."
Akira: "What is it?"
North: "I'm pretty sure I marked a pistol down on that list."
Lin-Keui barked a command at one of his Hand assassins. The warrior approached with head bowed and when prompted to by his lord, relinquished his sidearm to the Jumper when commanded along with an extra magazine.
North: "Jeez...what is this? A Lorcin? They still MAKE those?"
Akira held out his hand to take the pistol back.
North: "That's alright, I can make this work. I'm sure all the TRIADE sentries will forget to bring their bullet proof vests into work on "security upgrade night" or do something equally unexpected...like stand behind cardboard."
GM: "You really don't like Lorcin's do you?"
Phil: "All I'm saying is if pistols were like variety shows, then the Lorcin would be "Captain Video", that's all."
Greg: "BWAH-HAHAHAHHH!!!"
GM: "I'm torn."
Mike: "How so?"
GM: "I WANT to award a point for an obscure "Captain Video" reference but at the SAME time its taken me YEARS to forget I have seen Captain Video in the first place and I wanna slap him for reminding me of it."
Mike: "Why not do both?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
North: "This should do it...I'll open the link once I've re-established contact with my insider."
Akira: "I like you Neem-bis...DO-NOT-FAIL-ME."
Phil: "GRRrrrrrrr...you just WAIT genocidal crazy old man. Three more days and you are gonna get yours!"
The San Antonio mag-lev terminal lies just off the northern edge of the city. The time is 3:25pm CST and it's a balmy 98 in the shade when a stripped down Badger A.A.T.V. pulled into the station's outdoor parking. Dismounting from the dusty armored vehicle (distant cousin of the Bearcat) are Catherine, Rebecca and Lisa.
Lisa: "Are you sure this is gonna work?"
Cathy: "Well, we're about to find out."
Rebecca: "Pops says it'll work so it'll work...just make sure you have the thing turned on."
The trio double-check their portable jammers and make their way into the station. As they approach the entrance they see the line forming to pass through the security field. Lisa & Catherine both hang back as Becca passes through the scanner first. The screen flickers for a second but registers no weapons or explosives detected on her person.
Cathy: "See...TOLD ya! Nah, you first."
GM: "Point."
Lisa walks into the sensor sweep next and passes without incident but when Catherine walks through, for a moment, it clearly displays (in neon red outline on her scan image) a vast multitude of illegal electronics/gear and weaponry hidden all over her person, but before a claxxon can sound, the image flickers and shows green status. The mechanic manages to clear the projection area before anyone notices.
Mike: "Whew!"
Lise nudges the rattled Catherine:
Lisa: "Pardon moi, mam'selle...but I just saw your scan image and I can't help but wonder..."
Cathy: "Ha-ha...very funny."
Lisa: "...have you put on some weight?"
The Mechanic "girly" slaps the Trucker's arm as the group moves towards the crowd which prompts a stern look from the Paladin...
Rebecca: "Don't MAKE me stop this car."
Mike: "Eh? Ehhhhh?"
GM: "Point."
Mike: "He shoots...HE SCORES!!"
The moment the team reaches the crowd they all begin to split up. Rebecca proceeds to follow Catherine from a vantage point on the upper mezzanine, looking down on the gantry. Catherine walks to meet her sister solo but 6 yards behind her is Lisa keeping pace with the mechanic. All three have open links and wear similar matching leather outback jackets to conseal their hardware.
(If it were anywhere but Texas, it might've stood out!)
The main board read that Kirstie's transport was arriving on schedule and would be pulling up to the gantry any minute but this didn't stop Catherine from beginning to pace nervously.
Rebecca: "Relax princess...everythings going according to plan."
Maim: "Screw that...the plans completely f'ked."
Rebecca: "What are you DOING? Cease transmission immediately!"
Sally: "Ya d'nae geddit. Ya 'ave some 'eavy 'itters coming yur way and I doan think they're 'ere for th' egg rolls."
Cathy: "Egg rolls are Chinese...Li-Keui is Japanese you philistine."
GM: "Philistine...hehe-hehehh...how long have you been trying to work THAT one in for?"
Phil: "You don't wanna know?"
GM: "Point for the effort!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Lisa: "Are you sure they're even here for us?"
Maim: "Twelve Japanese men each standing over six foot six inches tall, dressed in black three-piece suits that can't hide all the gang tattoos on their drumsticks, wearing $1500 sunglasses in the middle of Texas on a Sunday? And that happens a LOT here does it?"
Sally: "But are they 'ere for us or th' girl?"
Rebecca: "Let's find out...Erica, you're up."
The mag-lev transport pulled into the station and glided to a gentle stop at the debarkation gantry.
Maim: "They're splitting up...one at the main entrance, one on the walkway from the terminus, five on the mezzanine and five on the gantry. The "doorman" just looked right at me and didn't flinch."
Rebecca: "I guess we have our answer."
Cathy: "I think they're here for me."
The Paladin looked down at the mechanic and noticed four of the suit clad bagmen trying to surround Catherine as she put her back to the mag-lev car.
Lisa: "I think she may be right."
Cathy: "I'm pulling-"
Rebecca: "You leave that weapon in its holster...we got you."
Lead Scary-Looking Yakuza Dude: "Come with us."
Cathy: "I don't think so."
Lead Scary-Looking Yakuza Dude: "It was not a request."
Rebecca: "Lise?"
Lisa: "Moving into position-"
A good samartian (unlike most on the gantry) who happened to be a amateur boxer, handed his iced coffee & jacket to his girlfriend before intervening on her behalf:
Lonny: "I think she said she doesn't want to go fellas?"
Catherine: "No...don't be stupid, get OUT of here NOW!"
Lead Scary-Looking Yakuza Dude: "In Poseidon...you'd already be dead."
The closest of the enforcers takes off his sunglasses and gets in Lonny face, sneering at him down his nose. As large as Lonny is, the enforcer still has him by 5" and 60 lbs. The boxer lands a right jab...the enforcer doesn't flinch. The boxer lands a left and a right jab...the enforcer still does not flinch. The boxer land a four jab combo plus a crushing right cross but only succeeds in causing the enforcer to turn his head.
Rebecca: "Lise."
Lisa" Almost there."
Cathy: "I'm gonna pull!"
Rebecca: "NEGATIVE."
The enforcer looks at the stunned Lonny who winds up for another combo but has his arm seized and immobilized before being forced to bend over to have his elbow broken backwards under the enforcer's knee.
Rebecca: "LISE!"
Lisa: "Babygirl's got the ball Bec's."
The Trucker silently emerged from behind the pillar she'd been using for cover and kicked the "Lead Scary-Looking Yakuza Dude" in the back of the knee (causing him to kneel, rather than fall prone) and grabs him by the throat from behind while clutching his windpipe between her fingers with nails dug in as she whistled for his toadies attention with the assistance of her other hand. The three men not involved in beating the good samaritan to death turned to look except for the last Yakuza who seemed determined to punish the boxer for his interference. People who had been debarking from the mag-lev took notice of the fighting and began to gather...right up until the guns came out, then it became chaotic. They seemed more concerned with filming the event than stopping it.
Lonny get's a reprieve from his beating when Cathy touches the enforcer on the shoulder from behind and zaps him into submission with her shock glove.
Two thugs on the upper mezzanine notice the scene transpiring below but before they can pull out pistols, Rebecca grabs both by the back of their pants and lifting to their tippy toes (delivering a savage double "wedgie from beyond") tosses both over the hand rail before they can recover. An elderly couple beside her took notice of her actions when the Paladin paused, picked up a "wet floor" sign and placed it where she pushed the pair over the balcony. This was witnessed by a third assassin (unfortunately) who let loose a terrifying scream and charged at Becca. She responded by taking the mop out of the wheeled cleaning bucket (that had been beside the "wet floor" sign) and kicked it at the charging thug. As she predicted, he leapt over the bucket as it tipped and spilled it's contents over the floor but winding up with the mop like a bat, breaks it off in the thug's face, still in mid-leap herself, causing him to fall spine first upon the hard ceramic janitor's bucket.
GM: "Snap, crackle, pop...he's never gonna dance again."
Mike: "But he couldn't dance before."
Phil: "Ba-dum-bum-tsst."
Greg: "What is WRONG with you people?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
The lead thug suddenly pulled a tanto from a hidden sheath under his pant leg on the back of his calf. Before he could strike, Lisa snapped his neck and snatched the tanto out of the air before it could drop. The closest goon went to draw his pistol but the Trucker threw the tanto at the thug's wrist as it came across his chest and pinned the limb to his torso (with gun IN hand, discharging harmlessly out the back of his expensive suit) before puncturing a lung.
The remaining pair went to draw their pistols and fire upon Cathy when Kirstie pokes her head out of the car and has has both Yakuza recognize HER also...
Greg: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Cathy waves her arms and screams at the enforcers to get their attention causing one to aim at her and the other at her sister. Before they can charge, Lisa armlocks the closest thug's weapon arm, bends his wrist back (pointing the pistol into his own face) while she keeps her trigger finger over his, threatening to blow his own head off. The last gantry thug sees this and is JUST about to shoot Lisa (Cathy just stands there and screams) when a silenced .338 round strikes the Yakuza abductor in the back, tearing a hole out the front of his chest and missing the trucker with captive goon (splattering both) before embedding in the pillar Lisa had once used for cover. He drops instantly.
Lisa: "G0D D@MNIT SAL!!"
Sally: "Y'r welcome."
Erica can see the guard at the walkway to the gantry is getting antsy so she decides to pull a "Simon Pheonix" on him. Casually walking by she double-handedly "vollyballs" his head into the nearby concrete wall to devastating effect.
Maim: "So sorry, didn't see you there."
GM: "Point."
Greg: "AH-HA!!!"
Mike: "I liked the melodic lilt in his voice."
Phil: "Y'hear that....you have a future in the phone sex industry."
Becca hears the sound of a pair of weapons chambering rounds behind her. She turns around to see the two final upper mezzanine goons have gotten the drop on her. They motion for her to drop the mop handle...which she does. They motion for her to raise her hands...for which she's only to happy to oblige because the Paladin never goes anywear with a pair of holdout/disguised force-beamer gloves. She disables both remaining Yakuza in a single twin burst which sends them flying back into a large electric sign, complete with explosion of sparks and shower of broken glass from neon bulbs and frame. Beside her she notices a child had hidden under a bench for protection when the fight broke out and had been watching her the whole time in astonishment. The Paladin then "feigned injury" by pretending she burnt her hands while blowing on them as the repulsor's emitter drained its charge and lost its glow. It made the child smile.
The older couple who had witnessed her giving the Yakuza wedgies were far less impressed by the violent display. Feeling humbled by the elderly couples glaring, the Paladin excuses herself from the mezzanine. Although the old woman tries to take out her glasses for a closer look at the carnage, the husband examined the downed Yakuza still rolling on the floor and then to Rebecca's butt as she left. He smiles until he notices his wife is staring at him at which point he resumes his previous "disapproving glare".
Lisa threw the last man standing into the floor so hard it knocked the pistol from his grasp, winded him and knocked the teeth from his mouth like bloody Chicklets. Kirstie was struck speechless at the the display but finally found the words to speak only to have them cut short as Catherine grabbed her by the arm and whisked her off the gantry.
Cathy: "C'mon, time to go!"
Rebecca: "Sally?"
Sally: "Already have the "Doorman" in m'sights...say the word an' I'll sing him a lullaby."
Rebecca: "Just scare him this time, y'hear me?"
Sally: "Copy tha' y'cranky b1tch...mebbe spoke too soon...looks like th' "mallcops" 'ave him now."
Bec's reaches the bottom of the stairs as Catherine, Lisa (still mortified that she's covered in blood) and Kirstie flee up sloping walkway to the terminus.
Rebecca: "Call it."
Sally: "He's gonna go postal..."
The sound of gunfire and screaming caused by the last of the Lin-Keui hit team echoed across the terminus as Erica waited for them beside the unconcious Yakuza she had "spiked" into the wall. They moved as a team with O'Shea bringing up the rear trailing slightly behind (dressed as a mag-lev tech). Sally kicked the unconcious enforcer in the bags as she went by...
(That's LOW!)
The team bypasses the main terminus by using a maintenance passage Catherine remotely unsealed, which allowed them to eventually emerge in the parking lot outside not far from where the Badger had been parked.
Rebecca: "Plan-B it is..."
Erica: "Wait, you mean that WASN'T Plan-A?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Rebecca takes a good look at the Trucker and she appears to be a bloody mess.
Rebecca: "WTF happened to you?"
Lisa: "O'Shea happened to me."
Sally: "Y'R-WELCOME!"
Kirstie: "What's going on?"
Sally: "I'd ask th' samething...were they after just you, or just y'r sister?"
Rebecca: "Both."
Erica: "Look like Lin-Keui wants to stage a hostile takeover of Calaveri Concepts."
Lisa: "Well, score one Calaveri."
Rebecca: "I have a feeling we're gonna be hearing from Jimmy soon. Erica, Sally...why don't you go see if he's lonely?"
Sally: "Aye."
Rebecca: "And Sal, whatever you do...don't let Erica drive your Viper. She'll wrap it around a pole."
Maim: "HEY!?!"
The group mounted up and pulled out the area before security could stop them but a lingering question remained. Did Lin-Keui try to abduct Cathy and her sister because of Calaveri's ties to Stormfront or did they know she was actually Torrent?
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
Appologies.
I never use spell check and do it all the old fashioned way. Needless to say I don't notice some grammar errors for days at a time.
There are bound to be more than a few of you out there reading it thinking:
"I know what it is...he was having a SEIZURE as he was typing but was too stupid to goto a hospital. BELIEVE me, I know when someone is having a seizure by the way they type and THAT guy must have bit his tongue off!"
(Or something like that...)
I am trying to get to them all. They annoy me more than they do some of the worst "grammer nazi's" out there in creation.
(IT'S "YOUR"...NOT YOU'RE...HOW AN YOU DRIVE A CAR AND NOT KNOW THAT YET!?! SHEEESH!! IT'S LIKE CONFUSING "CATASTROPHE" FOR "CAT @$$ TROPHY"!?!)
=)
-Peace All-
CONTINUATION...
Jimmy Martinez had been sitting tight on stake-out.
Clad in a Tactical Stealth Suit with Active Camo System meant he could pass right in front of someone at night and they'd never know he was even there. He had set up in a semi-complete suburban addition whose construction had been postponed after the illegal workers had been rounded up in a DHS sting operation. With his Portable Cyberdeck he could tap into Catherine's home system to monitor for intruders without trying to crack the residences formidable electronic countermeasures or reveal his position. He maintained watch with a set of military electronic binoculars when not watching the live feed (from the motion camera he had set up) directly. He could also tie in directly to any feed in the home or premises (that Catherine hadn't already shot or disabled) through his cyberdeck for a bird's eye view and had most of the remaining feeds running simultaneously on his monitor in an ever changing checkers pattern.
For the first five days it had been mind-numbingly boring. At first he would try to occupy himself by ranging different targets with his M-26SR Assault Rifle but inevitably his mind would start to wander. He also carried a pair of custom M-10 Ingram Cobray (in his bike's saddlebags) and a for a back-up, a cobalt-blue .44 magnum Diamondback caseless revolver. Being a Commando Scout Troop Leader, he ALWAYS carried a "Rambo-sized" (monowire-edged) survival knife at his side. His "roost" had the advantage of altitude over his target area and so most of his days spent in surveillance were done on his stomach.
He was growing tired of the routine and running low on supplies when Sally & Erica arrived on site around 5pm CST on the 5th day of Jimmy's "exile". He was most appreciative of the food and drink they brought with them but informed them nothing had occured all week and he began to doubt anything would until the girls told Martinez of their "uneventful" afternoon at the mag-lev station. Maim had decided to make a "beer run" and Sally had just put her head down to take a nap on the evening of day six when the properties motion sensor began to light up on Jimmy's Cyberdeck Holoscreen. The Commando Scout taps the bottom of Sally's boot with his rifle butt to get her attention.
Jimmy: "Okay...let's see what we got here."
Sally: "How many?"
Jimmy: "Just one."
Sally: "Erica...you hearin' this?"
Maim: "I'm just pulling into the sub-division now..."
Sally: "Stay outta sight Gunn."
Maim: "Are you f'king kidding me? There's ONE of them!"
Sally: "Becca told Jimmy to lay low."
Maim: "That's absolutely right...she DID tell Jimmy to lay low but she didn't say sh1t about me."
Phil: "DUDE!?!"
Greg: "Bite me...I'm going in."
Sally: "Get y'r big blonde butt the he77 back up 'ere Gunn!"
The ex-Wardog removed the link from her ear:
Maim: "I'm sorry, I didn't get that last part...you're breaking up-"
Maim put the communicator in her jacket pocket as she rolled Jimmy's bike to a stop a few units away from Catherine's and grabbed her six-pack from the back of the Katana, opening one as she walked up to the house. Jimmy could only look at O'Shea who grunted in disgust:
Jimmy: "You want me to shoot her?"
Sally: "Nahh, I'll bloody get 'er...keep me covered, yah?"
Martinez turned back to sighting down his rifle at the house:
Jimmy: "M'on it."
O'Shea sighed, then vaulted out the unfinished second-story window onto a set of modular wall sections laid flat but stacked high enough to reach half-way to her 7 yard starting altitude. She shoulder rolls off the stack and drops the remaining distance without breaking stride.
Erica reached the front door and found it still shot out from Rebecca's recent visit. The Biker drew her Member-II 7.92mm in one hand and beers in the other. She nudged the door ajar with her foot and could hear the sound of someone tearing the place apart in the dark as if looking for something. Erica quietly approached the souce of the sounds and when close enough, set down her five-pack...finished the one in hand and let rip with a single gi-NORMOUS belch.
The sounds of the room being tossed suddenly stopped.
Erica bit the cap off a second brew as a shadow began to move past the doorway in front of her. She spit the cap out and took long swig before cocking hammer on her Member-II and leaned it on her shoulder defiantly.
Maim: "Don't be shy...why don't you step out here where I can get a look at ya?"
When from out of Mee-Chan's bedroom stepped the largest woman Erica had seen in her entire life...
Maim: "Ain't you pretty."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
TEMPEST vs KITANA:
Erica's smile disappeared the moment the two locked eyes. Kitana stood sideways to her opponent and slowly put her hand to her wakizashi, taking her time to grip it firmly.
Maim: "Your buddies at the tube station were a bit of a disappointment...(Kitana slowly drew her sword)...I hope you'll put up more of a fight."
Kitana charged towards Tempest without uttering a word. The biker dismissed the action and takes a last swig of beer anyways before launching the bottle at the ninja's head. The ninja-amazon cuts (not breaks) the bottle in two (leaving the glass edges still glowing white hot) but the beer sprays into her face as it foams blinding her momentarily. Tempest levels her Member-II at the ninja but a blindfighting knee strike knocks the weapon aside at the last moment, causing it to discharge into the wall. Kitana counters (still blind mind you!) with a spinning sword strike that, while randomly determined, ends up being directed at Erica's face. Tempest manages to duck under the swing (which takes a piece of the wall behind her out in the process) and puts her foot between the two of them as Kitana tries to remain at close range, while simultaneously pointing her Member in Kitana's face. Once more, at the FINAL moment, the STILL blinded Kitana...using the Sticking Technique for advantage...manages to get her foot up against Maim's weapon arm in the crook of her elbow and pushes enough that the subsequent shot misses her face, but disturbs her hair beside her ear as it passes by!
Phil: "D@MNIT!!"
Greg: "Bring it!
Maim Push Kicks Kitana and manages breaks her Sticking Technique but only propels the amazon-ninja a few yards and she does not loose her footing. No sooner have Kitana's feet slid to a stop when the ninja leaps at Tempest, executing a (now blind) Flying Jumpkick Technique. Tempest fires off a third round from her Member at the incoming ninja but the shell misses her and shatters a large wall-sized aquarium behind her which spills a deluge of tropical fish, water and flotsam into the hallway. Kitana connects and sends Tempest back a yard, losing her footing on the newly wet floor, and falling into the flood of fish, sand and tank decorations. Kitana was STILL able to prevent herself from falling to the ground, WHILE STILL BLINDED and acrobatically vaulted to her feet again after landing on her hands. She ended in a brief sword kata after which she wiped her eyes and looked for Erica. The biker picked herself up and scraped her teeth over her bottom lip as she decided what to try next. Kitana mocked Tempest by dropping her fighting stance, shrugging her shoulders and motioning for Erica to come at her.
Maim: "Big mistake..."
The Biker leapt at Ninja-Amazon and fires a fourth round off from her Member-II but almost impossibly, Kitana PARRIES the bullet and cuts it in two so that each piece passes by harmlessly behind her but the distraction is enough for Tempest to land a Falcon Punch to the ninja's noggin that staggers the amazon.
Greg: "WTF!?!"
Erica, sencing victory, puts the Member-II against Kitana's head and whsipers:
Maim: "Game over."
She squeezes the trigger but the Member-II dry fires!
Greg: "!!!"
Phil: "Huh?!"
GM: "Four rounds...remember?"
Phil: "Aaaauuuugghh!!"
Maim tries to reload her Member but Kitana recovers from her daze and head butts Erica, barely missing her nose. Katana follows up by changing the grip on her blade and using the hilt to bust Tempest's nose. A last ditch parry by Erica, improvising the Member-II, sees the wakizashi's guard become caught on the side of the sidearms assembly, preventing a broken nose by centimetres. Tempest nimbly hits the clip release which sends the magazine popping out of the weapon like a toaster pastry in front of Kitana's face. Maim then sucker's the distracted Kitana with a strong forearm strike to the jaw that sends the ninja staggering a yard backwards and knocks the sword from the amazon's hand. Tempest goes to speedload a clip while Kitana is stunned and ALMOST succeeds, chambering a round and beginning to aim when Kitana is upon her once more...
While standing on one leg (Crane-style) Kitana double-kicks Erica...once in the weapon arm and the other to the face. The one to her right arm succeeds and once more, the weapon is knocked away and made unreadied, firing as it does. Erica attempts a Sweep Kick but Kitana easily jumps over the attack and lands with a Stamp Kick that knocks the Member-II from Erica's grasp. Tempest rises up and charges into Kitana, before her full weight of the ninja is brought to bear, and lifting her horizontally to shoulder height above the ground, spins 360 degrees and ends by power slamming Kitana into the now shattered giant aquarium stand.
Mike: "BOOM!!!"
Phil: "Slamdunk baby!"
Greg: "Lucky shot..."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Erica tried to land a strong Rabbit Punch to Kitana's solar-plexus but the ninja grabbed a handful of sludgy tank sand and threw it at Erica's face. Maim wiped the sludge like sand from her eyes only to see the ninja had disappeared...
Sally suddenly burst into the room, pistol at the ready but was gestured by Maim to remain where she is and stay quiet.
From behind cover, Kitana readied two handfuls of sonic shuriken before bursting from cover and charging at Tempest. She released a group of four deadly projectiles at each girl while she charged up at Maim. Sally was nicked in the weapon arm by one of the cluster of four and drops her pistol as she withdraws behind cover. Erica is able to dodge the deady barrage and squeezes off another round at Kitana (which misses) but in the exchange, a sonic shuriken cuts her over-sized modular pistol in two. Maim barely has time to lament the loss when Kitana executes a strong flying Jumpkick at Tempest. At the last moment Erica grabs the attacking leg and uses Kitana's own momentum to throw her THROUGH the interior wall of the hallway and into Mee-Chan's bedroom closet. Tempest yanks a dangling piece of wall out of way before reaching in to pull Kitana to her feet but the ninja Wrist Locks the biker and throws her through the mirrored sliding closet door while on her back then rolling to her feet as she completes the throw.
Phil: "Jeez...ain't she DEAD yet?!"
GM: "She's a Tsurimatsuo Legend...she's a tough as they get."
Sally: "E!?!"
Maim: "WHAT!?!"
Sally: "Pick up y'r socks!!"
O'Shea leveled her machine pistol and began a full auto spray of the closet above waist-level but her left-handed grip on the kicking weapon made her attack clumbsy. Sally ejected the spent magazine from her weapon but struggled as fast as she could manage to get a second loaded with her bad arm. Before she could finish, a foot came crashing through the wall that sent O'Shea flying and knocked the pistol (and magazine) from the stunned Sword's grasp before falling to the floor winded.
Through the remaining mirrored sliding closet door come Erica's arms, breaking through to grab Kitana by the throat from behind but the ninja pushes back with all her might, crashing through the closet door and landing on top of Tempest, covering her in shards of jagged glass. Kitana rolls to her knees quickdrawing her rear sheathed tanto and was just about to deliver a coups-de-gras upon the helpless Maim when a single green laser dot appeared on the ninja's chest. Kitana is BARELY able to avoid a killshot but is clipped in the arm and is spun like a top by the force of Martinez's M-26SR round.
FINISH HER!!!
As if on cue, from beneath the glass closet door (while Kitana still spins from the sniper hit), Erica unloads her Colt M-1911A1 into the whirling ninja and puts at least four of her six blindshots into the targets torso. Kitana's bullet riddled body stops spinning and she remains motionless for a moment before collapsing lifeless as Maim dry fires her pistol.
FATALITY!!!
EXCELLENT!!!
Sally spins around the corner (of the hole in the closet wall) with her machine pistol at the ready to find the ninja-amazon lying in a bloody shredded heap on the floor and Erica carefully pushing the glass door off of herself. Sally eases her aim and relaxes her shoulders as she takes a deep breath and looks at her wounded wing. Erica picks herself up off the floor and shakes some of the glass shards from her body in a fashion that would remind you of a shiver. Tempest turns around to seem the single bullet hole in the bedroom window and gives a thumbs up to Jimmy who is no doubt watching through his scope. Sally and Erica both look at the fallen Tsurimatsuo and breath a welcome sigh of relief...
Maim: "What a b1tch."
Sally: "One things f'r sure...Jimmy's gonna have an easy time followin' this one."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Knowledge's plan had been working better than he'd hoped, right up to the point where he was saddled with the burden of bringing his arch-nemisis in on the "caper". The water had always been murky between the two Jumpers but the recent turn of events made North begin to see things in a different light.
Had he really treated D.B. so poorly?
Possibly.
Did that excuse D.B.'s actions?
Absolutely not.
But for the first time since Only's betrayal at the diner almost 2 decades ago, North felt as if the two had passed a milestone in their seemingly endless struggle. Under normal circumstances he would have never considered such a course of action but the possibility of flipping D.B. for his extensive knowledge of A.S.P. operations was just too tempting to pas-
Greg & Phil: "NO-F'KING-WAY!!!"
GM: "?"
Phil: "Dude, he's done NOTHING but try to kill me."
Greg: "What are YOU complaining about? YOU'RE not the one married to a psychopath!"
Mike: "You-ARE-a-psychopath!"
Greg: "Oh, that's cold."
Mike: "How many children have you shot?"
Greg: "He was 14, that's not exactly a child...AND IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!! I have NEVER knowingly killed a child in this game!"
GM: "What about the boy you ran over while escaping from that botched attack on Waycross? That was pretty deliberate."
Greg: "...."
GM: "What was that? I didn't catch that last part?"
Greg: "Grrmble-ggrrrrmmble-motherf'ker-grrrmmble."
Mike: "Dude...when you do that, you sound EXACTLY like the Hamburglar."
Phil: "HELLO?! Let's get back on topic here...I am NOT recruiting psycho-boy!"
GM: "Even the POSSIBILITY of flipping him is almost too good to pass up."
Mike: "D.B. MAY be the moral equivalent of taking a sh1t on flypaper, rolling it up and calling it a taco-
Greg: "HEY!?!"
Mike: "-but the information he holds in his head is quite literally "priceless" to Stormfront regardless of his past actions."
GM: "Basically...yes."
Phil: "BUT HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!!"
GM: "Nobody said being a hero is all sh1ts & giggles."
Greg: "Do I get a say in this?"
GM: "Of course you do...D.B. is your character."
Greg: "Awesome...I'm STILL gonna kill Phil."
Phil: "Ah-HA, SEE!?!"
Mike: "Kill Phil Part II."
(GM snikkers.)
North was cut-off from his friends and allies. Sure they were just an open link away but since his personal link had been taken from him (along with just about all of his pocessions) he couldn't risk a call on an open line, even if it was to save his own life. None of the locals (outside of merchants trying to sell the "stupid westerner" some useless trinket) would have anything to do with him and shunned him as though he were a leper. The hotel he roomed at was very "low-rent" but had the virtue of being owned by TRIADE interests. He could rest assured he would not be discovered here after his brawl in the Yokohama Food Court or his altercation in the parking lot of TRIADE Tower.
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
What Knowledge hadn't realized was that in as few as two days, the footage of his desperate escape from Tsugi and his unbelievable one-man assault on the TRIADE lobby calling out one of the most powerful men in the East, had become internet memes.
(Apparently job applications for TRIADE Tower security division took a bit of a nosedive after the footage had made the rounds.)
The first to recognize North's rather "unique" fighting style was an A.R.F. SYSOP by the name of Yatsune. He very quickly discovered he couldn't establish contact with any of the Swords and correctly deduced that something wasn't right.
Yatsune (if that's even his real name!) isolated the location of the clips and began to scour the Poseidon interweb for traces of Knowledge. The diligent Slicer (knowing the Jumper better than most) is able to uncover a registry entry at a hotel under the only alias Yatsu has ever heard the Jumper use..."Hitler Beaverpants". To the best of Yatsune's knowledge, he knows of only ONE man who ever refered to himself thusly (or even thought of stringing those words together in the first place). It had to be Knowledge.
The first time they had crossed paths in New England, they very nearly shot each other. B.L.U.D. had been chasing the heroes and the A.R.F. were dressed as B.L.U.D.'s to prank the unauthorized deuling chapter. When Yatsune asked who North was, he said proudly: "Hitler Beaverpants, pleased to meet you!" then pumped a 12 gauge shotgun and pointed it in Yatsune's face!
The A.R.F. SYSOP asked his Poseidon counterpart for a rather large favor. Yu-Lung was only to happy to oblige.
(For those of you wondering what Yu looks like, picture "Kevin Smith" if he was asian. Yatsune's token likeness is Collin Chou or Seraph from the Matrix series.)
Yu-Lung (if that's even his real name) had been indebted to Yatsune for quite some time. The two collaborated to breath life into the Poseidon chapter of the A.R.F., something Yu-Lung has been eternally grateful for. Yatsune needs him to bring North a "clean" cyberdeck so he can establish what is going on with the Swords and render assistance if able. He tells Yu-Lung that whoever delivers the package will likely be risking their lives...then he plays the fight footage clips.
Yu-Lung: "You KNOW this guy?!"
Yatsune: "Sometimes I wished I didn't. Is this gonna be one of those times?"
Yu-Lung: "You don't understand...word on the street is this friend of yours? He caught in a tug of war between TRIADE & Lin-Keui..."
The Poseidon SYSOP freezes the frame on Sub-Zero & Scorpion...
Yu-Lung: "You see these two right there? I've only ever seen one other clip of them, they're REALLY rare...like "real pictures of Sasquatch" kinda rare. Most people say they're all hoaxed or staged but I'm telling you these guys are the real deal. They make people disappear and if they're after your friend...he's a deadman."
Yatsune: "That's what I was afriad of. Does that mean you won't do it?"
Yu-Lung: "The TRIADE's & Lin-Keui HAVE no international boundaries...if they even suspect that we're involved-"
Yatsune: "I'll understand if you say no."
Yu-Lung: "No, no...I'll DO it...I SAID I would...I just, uhhh....he's not gonna like accidently kill me or something is he?"
(There is a brief uncomfortable silence)
Yu-Lung: "Yatsu?"
Yatsune: "No...just no sudden movements or anything like that."
Yu-Lung: "Seriously?"
Yatsune: "You asked...I answered."
Yu-Lung: "Should I bring a gun with me?"
Yatsune: "No, he'd just beat ya to death with it anyway..."
Yu-Lung: "How well you know this guy?"
Yatsune: "16 years."
Yu-Lung: "But how WELL do you know him?"
Yatsu began to play Craig's Creek footage of North's horse mounted charge against Les Enfants des Anges (amongst others). Next flashed the unbelievable images from North's time with Team Darktread. He ran a clip from his participation in the 3rd American Civil War that had been spliced with New Orleans footage from street cams during Mardi Gras and ended his little montage with FLA-500 footage and Florida's Independance.
Yu-Lung: "Sugoi."
Yatsune: "I owe you for this."
Yu-Lung: "No...your FRIEND owes me for this."
Yatsune: "Be careful."
Yu-Lung: "Next time you see me I'll be standing in your friend's hotel room!"
Yatsune & Yu-Lung: "End of Line."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Sally's arm had been injured pretty bad but the group couldn't take the chance of leaving her in a hospital. Fortunately, the Swords had "friends" in town who were VERY sympathetic to their plight...for the right price of course.
Rally Hendershot had been a combat technician with Gold Cross Services in Amarillo. He'd first crossed paths with the Swords during the "Truck Stop Seige" and was someone who had discretely aided them in the past. After losing his job due to alcohol & burnout he managed to clean himself up and decided to move his practice underground.
The shuriken had cut deep and they were lucky he happened to be nearby that evening, else she'd have bled to death. Rally isolated the portions of her brain responsible for the injured limbs mobility and pain receptors. After blocking them he was able to work on her injury without knocking her out and adding shock to her system with powerful sedatives in her weakened state. The Road Doctor patched up Sal as best he could and cautioned her to keep the limb immobilized. Doc Hendershot also warned her than without "proper" medical attention in a real medical facility, her loss of mobility and sensation could become permanant. Everytime she winced in pain or felt discomfort, she would glare at Erica.
The trio promptly returned to Storm's Eye with Jimmy in tow, knowing everyone would need to be brought up to speed on this one. Tempest knew she would probably catch some flak for what she had done from the Paladin but seeing Rebecca already waiting for them in the parking entrance made the ex-wardog a little nervous.
Jimmy was first to come to a stop but Bec's strode past him to the Viper without a second glance, taking her sheathed broadsword from atop one of the Lamborghini's. She saw the Biker driving and veered immediately to her side of the car as Erica emerged.
Maim: "Now I KNOW you're not stupid enough to-"
Mike: "O-M-G!"
Greg: "You're kidding me?!"
Phil: "THREE!!! YES!!! YES!!!"
Rebecca winds up and connects a haymaker to Maim's jaw that rings her bell and takes the giant blonde biker to the concrete in a single hit.
Rebecca: "ONE thing...I asked you to do ONE-F'KING-THING...and WHAT do YOU do?! Destroy our ONLY other lead?! Hospitalize the ONLY person who can FLY-THE-KNIGHTWING?! Nearly get YOURSELF killed in the process?!"
Erica's head cleared and her hand went to her pistol out reflex but seeing that the Paladin was ready to pull her sword, put her hand inside her jacket and removed a shattered beer bottle top instead of her Colt.
Miss Ayers shook her head in disgust and walked towards the transit platform to Storm's Eye...
Rebecca: "If you CAN'T follow orders you are of NO use to this team!"
Erica picks herself up off the gound and removes her jacket with the shattered glass in it.
Maim: "What is with me and broken glass tonight?"
Sally rolls her eyes at the biker as she trudges past.
Maim: "AND I WAS WINNING THAT FIGHT I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW!!!"
Jimmy: "The one where you were lying under that closet door...on your @$$...about to be turned into shish-kabab, you mean THAT one?"
Maim: "Okay, that sh1t right THERE...is why we don't allow men in Stormfront."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Sally had originally joined the service as a Marine Corps Sniper but was quickly found to pocess tremendous aptitude for vehicular combat. Her first experiences actually came driving an Abrams battletank during her time in the Texas National Guard but her brothers service in the RAF (flying Lynx helios...and yes it caused a LOT of strife in the family when they effectively joined the "enemy") was her inspiration for flying. The rifle only made her feel like a killer. The tank only made her feel powerful...but flying made her feel free. She began flight training with the Swords and soon found she prefered VTOL configuration craft for their versatility. Although she had only flown troop transports on missions in the past and had even flown the Skycrane that airlifted the G.U.N.H.E.D. from the Mobius Complexe, she had originally trained as gunship pilot. Hoo had customized the Skycarrier so that only she could fly it but felt Stormfront may have need for air insertion when she's not around. The Knightwing would fill that role.
O'Shea's first impression of "Hoo's new digs" was one of mild suprise but as she approached the Knightwing's launch cradle, that all changed...
Sally: "Why is it all wet in 'ere?"
Rebecca: "Dunno. You can fly that thing right?"
Sally: "Just you try and STOP me..."
Rebecca: "You need some sim-time with the others?"
Sally: "Sure, sure, wha'ever... C'n we go inside?"
Rebecca: "Think she'll get us to Poseidon in one piece?"
Sally: "By the looks of this thing, we'll beat our shadows there by three full hours."
Rebecca: "Its...uhhh...its reactor makes it...kinda like a flying nuke-"
Sally: "Kewl, so...c'n we go inside now?"
Rebecca: "Have you ever seen anything like it?"
Sally: "No...that's WHY I wanna go inside."
Rebecca: "She's highly expiramental...mostly untested...not completely functional...it's a real crap shoot."
Sally: "Us? Inside there? We go now?"
Rebecca: "Be my gues-"
Despite her arm, O'Shea jogged rear cargo ramp before the Paladin could finish.
Sally: "Och, Twin vari'ble-geometry hyperfans with rear vector attitudes...retract'ble multi-spectrum sensor array...NBC sealed environment...ejection systems for all crew stations...five ton ordinance payload...1350mph unladen top end...retractable CIWS pod...how did you eve-"
Rebecca: "Hoo."
Sally: "W-wait a minute?! EVERYTHING IS WRITTEN IN F'KIN' CHINESE?!"
Rebecca: "And that's a problem?"
Sally: "I D'NAE SPEAK CHINESE!"
The mechanics laughter could be heard echoing throughout the hanger before she even came into view as she emerged with an umbrella and her portable...
Cathy: "Once I have uploaded the "language package" upgrade for the Wing's main 'puter, all the screens will be in english and system comes with an A.I. Avatar that'll act as your Co-Pilot. Nothing you can't handle."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Miss Calaveri stands beside the chin turret and points to the pilot's position. She hold's up her portable computer and points at it before powering up the Wing's systems, bringing the ship instantly to life sending low rumble through the platform area, activating the ships exterior & interior lights while simultaneously warming up the main engines. Sally & Rebecca were both startled by the sudden surge of light and activity from their respective positions, but after the initial scare, Sally began to go into a trance as she eased into the pilot's seat. Cathy's link is remotely tied into her 'puter so her voice is clearly heard at first but as the whine of the engines starts to build, it begins to fade into the roar of the hyperfans prompting the Mechanic & Paladin to stand back.
Cathy: "Put the helmet on...I wanna show you something."
Rebecca: "Calaveri, what are you doing?!"
Cathy: "Don't worry...I have total control from here...the only thing she can access are the weapons."
Rebecca: "WHAT!?!"
Sally: "Ohh-ho-hoooooo!!"
Rebecca: "Power this thing down now!"
Cathy: "Its under control Becca...just stay close to me, sit back and enjoy the show."
Sally put the control helm on and braced herself as Cathy activated the chin turret and slaved it to the helmet.
Cathy: "Give it a moment to read your biometrics..."
The Visorless helm's 360 degree "god-view" made it appear as if she were standing without a ship around her. At the peripheries of her sight were display pop-ups and ships status (in chinese...Catherine had the english interface on her portable only) and in the centre was a targeting cross hair that was red whenever she looked somewhere out of the chin turrets arc of fire, yellow when in proper arc and green when locked on items around the hanger.
Cathy: "Now, whatever you do...don't look at me. Focus on those crates at the far end..."
Sally noticed the stick icon light up and fixed her eyes upon containers the mechanic had indicated. The moment her hand took the controls, the turret extended and came to life. Sensor antennae extended and sought out objects to destroy as the twin cannons hummed to life. Rebecca tries to step away as Catherine tries to pull her closer.
Rebecca: "Not a good idea Calaveri!"
Sally: "S'kay Bec's...we're still good...you'll need one of these though."
Cathy held out a pair of goggles and put a pair to her own eyes as the twin cannons pulsed with light and began to spin. Rebecca managed to pull away from Catherine and puts some space between herself and the Knightwing while holding the goggles to her face.
Sally: "Eat this..."
The field-jacketed laser pulses struck with the equivalent force of a GAU-12 40mm explosive round (despite being a laser) with a rate of fire in the neighborhood of 200 pulses second with effectively unlimited ammo. The entire time, Rebecca can be seen behind Catherine (not heard over the cannon's roar) giving every hand gesture she can think of for "cease fire". After a sustained ten second burst, Sal powered down the guns as both Paladin and Sword stand with jaws agape at the display of firepower. Catherine begins to power down the Knightwing and close up her portable 'puter displays. The mechanic notices Becca distracted by the sheer devastation down range.
Cathy: "Really something, huh?"
The mechanic then opens the umbrella and turns to examine the damage, discovering the salvo has gone straight throught the intervening five foot reinforced concrete wall and into the room beyond, as flames & smoke would indicate. A claxxon sounds in the hanger (to Rebecca's suprise) and a sprinkler system activates dousing the hanger (and adjoining chambre) in water, soaking Cyclone in the process.
Sally: "Mother-of-Gog..."
Torrent (with her umbrella) looks at the now soaked Cyclone who glares at her in responce to the display.
Cathy: "I TOLD you to stay close didn't I?"
Rebecca: "Don't ever do that again..."
Erica can be seen coming into view with weapons drawn as the sprinklers system shuts off.
Maim: "What the he77 is going on?"
Rebecca whispers to Catherine: "...unless you bring ME an umbrella too."
The Mechanic gives a thumbs up to the Paladin before turning to Erica and waving her off.
Sally finally emerges from the back of the VTOL and returns a victory gesture at Erica who arrives to gaze at the new hole in the far wall.
Maim: "O'Shea?! Shoulda known..."
Sally: "I-LOVE-this-f'kin'-ship!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
The Neo-Tokyo undercity was teeming with life. From his balcony, the procession of umbrellas in the drizzle reminded him of an army of ants filling the streets. He then thought of the spacious Elysium Platform, Lin-Keui/TRIADE Arcologies not to mention the orbital residential stations. The disparity of wealth was beyond belief. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed the knock at the door. The second knock was more vigorous and snapped North back to his sences. Instead of "Samantha", he takes the silenced Lorcin he was given by Lin-Keui and checks to be sure a round is chambered before moving towards the door. D.B. is NEVER early.
North: "Da fuq izzat?"
Yu-Lung: "Hitler Beaverpants? Do I look like a big-t1tty blonde with an @$$ that tastes like french vanilla ice cream?"
North: "Yatsu?"
North unlocked the door and opened it to find the rotund SYSOP standing before him with umbrella in one hand and Cyberdeck case in the other.
Yu-Lung: "I'm his friend. He saw your fight footage from Yokohama and thought you might need a hand."
Knowledge was speechless. He quickly checked the hall to see if anyone had followed Yu-Lung before pulling him into the room abruptly. Yu-Lung wasn't startled when the Jumper pulled him into his room but began to become scared when he saw the Lorcin consealed behind North's back. North, noticing he had put his guest at ill ease brought the weapon out and put it in Yu's hand. The SYSOP politely declined to take the Lorcin from him.
Yu-Lung: "That's alright...I'm trying to quit."
He proceeded to set up the Cyberdeck and handed the peripherals to the Jumper before jacking himself into the system and becoming immersed in the 4D interactive web environment. Spinning the global icon to the Federalist America's Yu-Lung's oriental dragon Avatar gracefully swims between the interweb option and selects Yatsune's Tron-like classic-samurai Avatar. Tailing behind Yu is North's "300 meets Taz" Avatar following as a spinning vortex that throws icons and interfaces about unpredictably in his wake. The dragon brings up a floating alpha-numeric globe which he uses to access Yatsu's Domain. Suddenly decending from high above the world, zooming into Yatsu's servers, the landscape changes from orbit to a neon futuristic oriental temple atop a lone peak which extends beyond electronic cloud banks. The temples gates opened for the pair as they arrived, allowing them access to the inner courtyard. Despite the size of Yu's Avatar, he swam into the temple with grace and ease whereas Knowledge's "Taz" was a dwarf who who seemed to only be capable of leaving chaos in his wake. Mee-Chan brought his whirlwind-like advance to a stop in the centre of the Tron-neon oriental rock garden at the heart of the temple...then "ook'd, eek'd & raspberried" his was around the courtyard.
Yatsune: "I can't believe you still use that Avatar."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-